Content Area(s): Life Science Topic: Memory and recall Short description: A new study suggests that our minds use doorways as a signal to separate episodes of activity. This makes it difficult to remember things that we thought of in another room.
Claim: Moving through a doorway might cause people to forget what they were thinking.
Keywords: event boundary Difficulty of Concept: Easy
MS-ETS1 Engineering Design
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy
RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations descriptions.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts and reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection and research.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
If you have ever gone into another room to do something, only to forget when you got there, you are not alone. In fact, according to a recent study, this is a normal part of how our brains categorize and store information. Researchers from the University of Notre Dame found that entering or exiting doors serve as an "event boundary" in the mind. An "event boundary" is what signals the end of one memory and the beginning of the next. People's minds seem to use doorways as a way to separate episodes of activity. This makes it difficult to remember things that were thought of in another room because the brain stores the information away once we go through the door. So, while we are standing in the kitchen trying to remember why we are there, the brain has already moved on.
"The architecture of the world can actually impede your memory," says study co-author Gabriel Radvansky, a professor of psychology. "The brain needs to be able to shift gears to what’s relevant now, and not focus on what’s irrelevant. Event boundaries help provide that structure." Sixty people participated in three different experiments to test this theory. In one, participants used a computer keyboard to move virtual people around a series of rooms. In each room they picked up one of two items. Then they were asked questions about the items they had picked up. Their memories were much worse if they were asked the questions after moving to a new virtual room.
The computer experiment was then replicated in the real world. In the second experiment, participants were asked to remember objects after walking across a room. Then they were asked to remember objects after walking the same distance but through a doorway. Participants remembered fewer object after walking through a doorway. So what can we do to break through the “event boundary?” It may help to repeat the decision or action as you enter a room, or you can speak your intentions out loud. Moving to a one-room apartment might be the ultimate solution.
Title: Door to Your Memory
Content Area(s): Life ScienceTopic: Memory and recall
Short description: A new study suggests that our minds use doorways as a signal to separate episodes of activity. This makes it difficult to remember things that we thought of in another room.
Claim: Moving through a doorway might cause people to forget what they were thinking.
Keywords: event boundary
Difficulty of Concept: Easy
Reading Level (Pit Stop 8 Article):
Flesch Reading Ease: 60Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 8.7
Lexile: 1020
Next Generation Science Standards:
MS-ETS1 Engineering DesignMS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/LiteracyRST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations descriptions.
RST.6-8.8 Distinguish among facts and reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection and research.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Vocabulary Words: virtual computer world
Topic of Game Introduction Video: Ranking Evidence Quality
Link to Game Introduction Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVGddUYpLYk
Full Text of Article:
If you have ever gone into another room to do something, only to forget when you got there, you are not alone. In fact, according to a recent study, this is a normal part of how our brains categorize and store information. Researchers from the University of Notre Dame found that entering or exiting doors serve as an "event boundary" in the mind. An "event boundary" is what signals the end of one memory and the beginning of the next. People's minds seem to use doorways as a way to separate episodes of activity. This makes it difficult to remember things that were thought of in another room because the brain stores the information away once we go through the door. So, while we are standing in the kitchen trying to remember why we are there, the brain has already moved on."The architecture of the world can actually impede your memory," says study co-author Gabriel Radvansky, a professor of psychology. "The brain needs to be able to shift gears to what’s relevant now, and not focus on what’s irrelevant. Event boundaries help provide that structure." Sixty people participated in three different experiments to test this theory. In one, participants used a computer keyboard to move virtual people around a series of rooms. In each room they picked up one of two items. Then they were asked questions about the items they had picked up. Their memories were much worse if they were asked the questions after moving to a new virtual room.
The computer experiment was then replicated in the real world. In the second experiment, participants were asked to remember objects after walking across a room. Then they were asked to remember objects after walking the same distance but through a doorway. Participants remembered fewer object after walking through a doorway. So what can we do to break through the “event boundary?” It may help to repeat the decision or action as you enter a room, or you can speak your intentions out loud. Moving to a one-room apartment might be the ultimate solution.
References/Sources:
Additional Content:
Author: Cindy Wilbur